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Algerian military surrounds insurgency leader

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Friday, July 26, 2002

CAIRO Ñ Algerian forces were said to have surrounded a major insurgency leader.

Military troops and security forces operating south of the capital Algiers have trapped a group of insurgents. One of them is said to be Rashid Abu Turab, a so-called prince of the Islamic Armed Group, or GIA.

Security sources said Abu Turab and his chief aides are no longer in contact with Islamic insurgents in the Algiers area. They termed this as the most important achievement in the government's battle against the GIA since the assassination of the group's leader Antar Zubeiri in February.

The trapped insurgency cell is said to contain between three and five members. One of them is believed to be Abu Turab or another major GIA insurgent such as Saada Al Ayman.

An Algerian government announcement said authorities have launched a new crackdown against Islamic insurgents. The statement said the measure was in response to a wave of bombings around the capital attributed to the GIA and other Islamic groups.

Prime Minister Ali Bin Falis said this week that his government has taken a series of measures in several regions as part of the counterinsurgency campaign. The premier said the measures were meant to combat intensified insurgency activities, which included assassinations and bombings.

Falis told parliament that authorities has ordered deployment of additional troops and equipment around the country. He also called on citizens to help authorities in reporting suspicious activities.

On Friday, security sources said an Algerian special operations unit had captured five suspected insurgents in Algiers and nearby towns. They said the insurgents possessed weapons and that one of them was captured in downtown Algiers.

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